Creemore Kitchen is a study in contrasts, with one common thread: delicious local food
by Emily Worts, photography by Kristie & Brenden Woods
In the 1950s it was Creemore’s main street gas station, it has taken on many incarnations since, and now 134 Mill Street is the home of Creemore Kitchen (affectionately known to locals as CK). Although Creemore’s newest restaurant pays homage to its humble beginnings, it is doing so with polished style that makes the esthetic and the food of Creemore Kitchen a lesson in contrast for all who come for brunch, lunch, dinner or some of the best desserts in the area.
The simple white wood-sided building is reminiscent of an Ontario barn, but open the door to CK and your senses are awakened. Bold Moorish black and white tiles lead into the dining area where the restaurant’s focal point, a giant firecracker red chandelier (sourced on Kijiji from Bobcaygeon and given a stunning makeover) hangs from the raw pine-vaulted ceiling. Although much of the mismatched furniture has been repurposed (including two chairs from the first apartment of one of the owners), the ambiance is anything but ‘thrifty.’
The contrast of material and colour is a warm-up to what awaits on CK’s menu and speaks volumes about the philosophies shared by owners Caesar Guinto, Sam Holwell, Michael Rothfeld and Erica Shuttleworth. “Seasonal Good Food, Local” is what the vintage-inspired sign hanging in front of Creemore Kitchen promises, “but we wanted to bring a touch of elegance to it,” says Holwell.
Anything goes here. An evening at CK can mean an intimate night for two or an evening of rock music and street food at one of the restaurant’s popular Thursday night ‘Dive Bar’ events. “Everything from summer dresses with smart little shoes to work boots fresh off the job site are welcome,” says Holwell. “Kids are very welcome. It’s how we chose the material for this place. Nothing is too precious.”
On a recent visit to Creemore Kitchen, I start with one of Holwell’s signature cocktails. (Holwell quickly became known in Creemore for his wicked drinks, but don’t ask for a menu. If you do he may bring you a bartender’s bible of every drink ever made. Holwell prefers to go by what’s in season and how people are feeling.) The Morrison, named after local apple growers Janette and Warren Morrison, is a stiff drink of bourbon, hard cider and maple syrup with homemade apple chips. Holwell’s Bloody Caesar is made with Chef Guinto’s homemade HP sauce and garnished with pickled garlic scapes from Mulmur’s Fiddlefoot farm. I choose the latter.
Guinto and Holwell spent the summer while their building was under construction selling fried chicken and doughnuts at the Creemore Farmer’s market. Not only was this an example of marketing genius, it allowed them to build relationships with local suppliers who would become the foundation of their local-centric menu. It isn’t out of the ordinary to see one of CK’s suppliers sitting at the table next to you or to see the owners chatting up a local grower about the season’s harvest; their suppliers are their friends and their biggest supporters.
Guinto and Holwell filled five binders with photos and magazine cutouts of everything from 1950s cowboys and The Waltons to food creations and vintage signage, to give Building Arts Architects Inc. of Toronto and local builder Jamie Korthals a clear idea of their vision for 134 Mill Street.
“We spent two years designing the menu and the space,” says Holwell. “Two years stockpiling stuff.”
The time was well spent. Creemore Kitchen opened in June 2013 and from opening day everything has been expertly executed right down to the cotton napkins/tea towels (which were so well received they are now for sale in the beautifully decorated retail annex attached to the restaurant).
“It’s something we’ve been doing at home for years,” says Holwell of using luxurious cotton tea towels for napkins. The same goes for the vintage army blankets they draped over their eclectic mix of wooden chairs in the winter and then began selling. And of course the same goes for the food they serve.
“The food is how I want to eat it,” says Guinto of what he prepares for his clients.
“We are simple eaters,” adds Holwell.
On this night, my husband John and I order the Pithivier and salad. Guinto, who has been in the industry for 28 years, started in pastry and this is evident with the Pithivier. A delicate pastry opens to a rich filling of squash, mushroom, kale, caramelized onion and goat cheese. John and I never fight over the last bite, but tonight the gloves are off and I win. I savour the last morsel of pastry with the baby greens it was nestled in.
“This really wakes you up,” John says of his salad made with New Farm greens.
In the summer the produce CK uses is often harvested just hours before Guinto gets his expert hands on it. This means only a squeeze of lemon, a splash of olive oil, a touch of Dijon and a finishing flourish of Maldon sea salt are all it takes to make simple greens sing.
Chef Guinto, who can see the dining area from the open kitchen, takes any opportunity to step out of the kitchen to deliver a meal. “Its personal; it’s like our house,” he explains.
He delivers our main course and offers a description of John’s choice of fried chicken. Along with the chicken there is a small bowl of pomme purée (the best mashed potatoes I have ever tasted), a homemade biscuit and white thyme gravy. The gravy, explains Guinto, can be a dip or a spread, while the biscuit can be used to mop up the gravy, make a sandwich, or eat on its own.
“Have fun with it,” he advises. And we do. The chicken is so good, even the last minuscule crispy bits are gobbled up.
I order pickerel and it is cooked perfectly. Pan fried, even the crispy skin is delicious dipped in the Bagna Cauda sauce of capers, anchovies, olive oil and herbs. The fish is served on a bed of wilted pea shoots, which are growing in mason jars on the bar, as well as a delicate homemade ricotta gnocchi.
The contrast of John’s chicken arriving on a red-and-white-checked piece of waxed paper, and the presentation of my pickerel worthy of a white linen five-star restaurant, is a testament to CK’s talents. “People always used to ask, ‘what kind of cuisine are you going to offer?’” says Guinto “I’m so tired of catch lines. Good food is what I’m going to be doing. But why can’t it be fancy, too?”
My dessert – Eton Mess, the English dessert traditionally served at Eton College cricket games – continues the contrast. The word ‘mess’ aptly describes the look of the dessert but not its taste. It is a combination of one of Guinto’s dried cranberry, dark chocolate and nut meringues crumbled up and mixed with whipped cream and a compote of last year’s berries (this year’s berries weren’t ready yet). Guinto is becoming known for his daring artisanal ice creams, like purple potato, corn, caramel pecan praline or rhubarb, so John orders a scoop of rich Belgian chocolate along with a scoop of creamsicle (a refined version of the childhood favourite). Guinto’s ice cream, which is a labour of love (it takes him half an hour to churn one litre), can be taken home in single serve or half-litre containers or is available for scooping into ice cream cones from the retail annex. The retail shop also has frozen take-away meals, infamous homemade doughnuts (beet, toasted marshmallow, lemon Boston cream) and other unique baked goods along with handpicked lifestyle items that can’t be found anywhere else.
CK is chef-owned and operated, which means you will always find Guinto and fellow owner Holwell, head of the house, there to greet you.
“We’re having a blast; there’s not a night I don’t want to be here,” says Holwell. “We opened a restaurant because we love being here.”
At Creemore Kitchen, it certainly shows. ❧
